{"id":"19b08b1c-861d-4e75-a1ef-ea0c1baf202b","title":"Suspicious Download Via Certutil.EXE","description":"Detects the execution of certutil with certain flags that allow the utility to download files.","author":"Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Jonhnathan Ribeiro, oscd.community, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)","status":"test","level":"medium","date":"2023-02-15","modified":"2025-12-01","tags":["attack.stealth","attack.t1027","attack.command-and-control","attack.t1105"],"technique_ids":["T1027","T1105"],"logsource":{"category":"process_creation","product":"windows"},"falsepositives":["Unknown"],"references":["https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/certutil","https://forensicitguy.github.io/agenttesla-vba-certutil-download/","https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2021/04/13/compromised-exchange-server-hosting-cryptojacker-targeting-other-exchange-servers/","https://twitter.com/egre55/status/1087685529016193025","https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Certutil/","https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2020/08/23/certutil-one-more-gui-lolbin"],"source_path":"rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_certutil_download.yml","source_sha256":"1262c65c22592b28f2c63906462f07f9c0d95e8fa065405505d18979a5f278af","source_url":"https://github.com/anpa1200/sigma/blob/b249e9683190cffdcaf188ccbfb90bf4759844e1/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_certutil_download.yml","license":"Detection Rule License 1.1","license_url":"https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License/blob/main/LICENSE.Detection.Rules.md","yaml":"title: Suspicious Download Via Certutil.EXE\nid: 19b08b1c-861d-4e75-a1ef-ea0c1baf202b\nrelated:\n    - id: 13e6fe51-d478-4c7e-b0f2-6da9b400a829\n      type: similar\nstatus: test\ndescription: Detects the execution of certutil with certain flags that allow the utility to download files.\nreferences:\n    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/certutil\n    - https://forensicitguy.github.io/agenttesla-vba-certutil-download/\n    - https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2021/04/13/compromised-exchange-server-hosting-cryptojacker-targeting-other-exchange-servers/\n    - https://twitter.com/egre55/status/1087685529016193025\n    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Certutil/\n    - https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2020/08/23/certutil-one-more-gui-lolbin\nauthor: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Jonhnathan Ribeiro, oscd.community, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)\ndate: 2023-02-15\nmodified: 2025-12-01\ntags:\n    - attack.stealth\n    - attack.t1027\n    - attack.command-and-control\n    - attack.t1105\nlogsource:\n    category: process_creation\n    product: windows\ndetection:\n    selection_img:\n        - Image|endswith: '\\certutil.exe'\n        - OriginalFileName: 'CertUtil.exe'\n    selection_flags:\n        CommandLine|contains:\n            - 'urlcache '\n            - 'verifyctl '\n            - 'URL '\n    selection_http:\n        CommandLine|contains: 'http'\n    condition: all of selection_*\nfalsepositives:\n    - Unknown\nlevel: medium\nregression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_certutil_download/info.yml\n","validation":"yaml_parsed_not_backend_compiled_or_live_validated","techniques":[{"key":"enterprise/T1027","id":"T1027","name":"Obfuscated Files or Information","page":"techniques/enterprise/T1027/"},{"key":"enterprise/T1105","id":"T1105","name":"Ingress Tool Transfer","page":"techniques/enterprise/T1105/"}],"data_path":"data/detection-rules/19b08b1c-861d-4e75-a1ef-ea0c1baf202b.json","kind":"sigma"}